High Fiber Foods are Ingredients for a Happy, Healthy Life

By Cliff Smith

When you see junk food snacks like candy bars and cookies referred to as "high fiber foods" or "all-natural", or "fat free", do you believe they’re really good for you? 

Some food manufacturers are now using many new tricks to persuade the general public that their products are healthy, regardless of the ingredients.  Some of those ingredients include artificial sweeteners, hydrogenated oils and trans fats, which have been linked to serious, life threatening diseases. Other ingredients are cleverly disguised as healthy high fiber foods or natural foods, when in fact they're really just more processed junk.

You don’t have to fall for the marketing gimmicks.  Avoid eating mysteriously processed foods by including more real, whole foods and high fiber foods in your diet.  When you pay attention to what you eat you will increase your self-awareness and your self esteem.  You'll find that it’s easier to manage a healthy weight, create more energy and develop a happier, healthier lifestyle.

High Fiber Foods Support Healthy Digestion

As you stick to a diet of natural, high fiber foods, your digestive system works to break down the nutrients using the proper amount of energy, without tricking the body. Foods that contain numerous additives may take longer to digest. They often force the body to work harder in order to metabolize the additives.  This can drain vital energy, making you feel lazy and tired. Natural foods provide more bioavailable nutrients and high fiber foods help your digestive system work more efficiently to put those nutrients to use in the body.   Your body likes that, so it rewards you with health and happiness.

Foods that contain artificial sweeteners are even more difficult to process.  The body creates insulin in order to break down glucose.  This is not a big problem when digesting whole foods or high fiber foods that contain natural glucose.  However, when you eat food that has artificial sweeteners, the body believes it has consumed sugar.  Insulin is then created, but can’t be used to break down the glucose because it's not really there. In a sense, the artificial sweetener has tricked the body.  The unused insulin is eventually stored in the liver.  The more toxins that accumulate in your liver, the less fat that can be broken down.  That’s why artificial sweeteners are believed to actually contribute to obesity, and have been known to trigger certain cancers.

High Fiber Foods Lower Risks of Disease

By consuming more high fiber foods, especially natural, whole foods such as fruits and vegetables, you feel healthier.  Numerous studies have shown that this kind of sound nutrition lowers risks of contracting life-threatening diseases.  You will be far less fearful of getting sick and your brain will let your body know that.  Often, it's the stress created from thinking you might have an illness that actually contributes to the onset of a breakdown in the immune system.

Fiber is one of the most important elements missing from the standard American diet (SAD).  It is common knowledge today that high fiber foods help protect the body against certain preventable diseases such as colon cancer, hemorrhoids, obesity, heart disease, high blood sugar and high cholesterol.  This makes high fiber food an essential ingredient for a healthy happy life.

Experts suggest that people eat at least 35 grams of fiber per day.  Unfortunately, the average person only consumes 10 grams of fiber a day.  If you stick to a diet filled with healthy, whole foods, it’s much easier to reach that 35 gram target.  High fiber foods can easily be obtained from fruits, vegetables, nuts, beans, cereals, whole grains and pastas. 

Here are a few high fiber foods you can eat every day:

• Whole wheat breads and pasta
• Broccoli, carrots, cauliflower and celery
  
• Apples, bananas, oranges and berries
  
• Green beans, pinto beans, black beans
  
• Almonds, walnuts and cashews
  
• Tomatoes, peppers, onions and garlic
  
• Brown rice or other whole grains
  
• Lettuce, raw spinach or other leafy green vegetables in a salad
  

These natural whole foods are easy to eat every day.  If you are not getting enough high fiber foods in your diet then you may want to have fruit for a snack, or add beans and a salad to your main meat dish at dinner.

Eat more real whole foods to avoid causing trouble for your body, and stay away from ingredients like hydrogenated oils, trans fats, artificial sweeteners, colors or flavorings. Remember that a diet filled with all natural, whole foods and plenty of high fiber foods will help you maintain a happy, healthy lifestyle.

Author Profile
Cliff Smith is the owner of this online health food store. He is also a serious athlete, professional actor and nutrition specialist. Cliff offers access for his exclusive clients to all natural, whole foods and high fiber foods not sold in typical stores.